COD: MW 2 earns $800m in first three days to break franchise record

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has broken franchise records by earning $800 million within the first three days after release. The game also beat the earnings of top films released in 2022, with revenue surpassing the combined earnings of Top Gun: Maverick and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The original Modern Warfare 2, released in 2009, raked in $550 million within five days, while Modern Warfare 3 generated $775 million in five days. Modern Warfare, released in 2019, broke the two records by earning $600 million within the first three days. Now, Modern Warfare 2 has taken the throne as the highest-selling game in the series.

“To our community – THANK YOU for making #ModernWarfare2 the #1 Call of Duty launch of all-time! And we’re just getting started,” Call of Duty said on Twitter.

Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and Call of Duty general manager Johanna Faries also shared their happiness regarding this new record. Kotick thanked the team and the COD community for their support.

“Thank you, Call of Duty players, for making Modern Warfare II’s launch one for the record books as well as the highest-grossing entertainment opening of the year,” Faries said.

“It is our honor and privilege to deliver such a historic launch weekend for the best fans in the world. As amazing as this opening has been, Call of Duty has much more in store. An unprecedented level of support for the Modern Warfare universe is on the horizon and Warzone 2.0’s launch is right around the corner. It’s an incredible time for the franchise.”

Players receive false bans

Despite the game garnering a lot of money for Activision, many issues are plaguing Modern Warfare 2. One of the most prominent issues players have to deal with is false bans. Thousands of players have been falsely banned under the reason of “unauthorized software” and “manipulation of game data.”

According to Insider Gaming, players should avoid using RGB software to prevent false bans. Some of the software that players should not use at the moment are Logitech G Hub, iCUE Afterburner and Razer Synapse 3. Players can appeal to remove the ban through the Activision website.

False bans are not new to the Call of Duty series. A similar issue also occurred in the 2019 Modern Warfare. Players even created a change.org petition that amassed more than 30,000 signatures to demand an explanation from Activision.

One player decided to visit a nearby Activision office after he had been banned twice on two different accounts while playing Modern Warfare 2. He shared his experience on a Reddit post, saying he could not get past the security.

“The fact that I can’t speak with someone at Activision Blizzard is very frustrating when I simply just want to enjoy this game that I spent 140 dollars on,” the player wrote.

Some supported the player’s action, while others disagreed. They asserted that starting a “vigilante campaign” against Activision employees would not help to solve the issue.

“Its a f*g game. Go outside, play a different game, whatever,” one player wrote. “It is never okay to show up to the studio like that. Its terrifying enough being online as a developer. Having an angry fan show up to your workplace has to be utterly terrifying. Just don’t.”

Aspyr Media associate producer Jacob Garcia also did not condone the action, saying it might be perceived as a threat.

“These employees are getting like $15/hr and still can’t afford the rent they split with three other people,” he wrote. “Please don’t visit gamedevs in their offices. It doesn’t help and we fear for our safety.”